ARTS & MEDIA -
MARIN ALSOP - Principal Conductor, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Marin is almost unique in being a woman conductor in a field where this is still rare, and is regularly invited to conduct by the crème de la crème of European Orchestras e.g. London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Zurich Tonhalle, Orchestre de Paris, Bavarian Radio Symphony. Her Bournemouth appointment made her the first woman chief conductor of a major UK orchestra; she is one of only two or three female conductors working at such a level. She is widely acknowledged to have opened up classical music to new audiences, and has received many awards in recognition of this. In 2006 Marin was the only classical musician invited to address the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos for her role in breaking down barriers between the public and musicians habitual, concert goers and first timers.

BUSINESS
LAURA WADE-GERY - Chief Executive Officer, tesco.com

Laura joined Tesco in 1998 as Targeted Marketing Director responsible for ‘club card’ and marketing strategy, becoming Group Strategy Director in 2000, helping Tesco revolutionise retailing in Central Europe, creating over 80,000 jobs in Central Europe. The role included mergers and acquisition opportunities. As CEO of tesco.com since 2004, Laura heads up the only profitable online grocery retailer in Europe. In the three years that she has held the role sales have doubled and profits have more than doubled. Much of this is due to her entrepreneurial skills. Tesco was the first UK supermarket to offer its customers full live internet home shopping. It is now Europe’s leading internet grocery retailer (also the world’s largest) with over £1 billion turnover and over £100 million profit.

BUSINESS
CLAIRE THOMAS - Senior Vice President, Human Resources Pharmaceuticals International, GlaxoSmithKline

Claire has been instrumental in transforming the organisation and culture of GlaxoSmithKline since taking up her role as Senior Vice President, Human Resources for the company’s 44 country European Pharmaceutical Commercial business. The turn around from low/negative growth to the best performing pharmaceutical company in Europe required a major shift from a national to a European structure and mindset. She showed inspiring leadership and cultural sensitivity, influencing powerful businesses and leaders across diverse countries, e.g. France, Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, Poland, Southern, Central and Eastern Europe. There is now a high level of co-operation across markets with best practice in one country adopted in others without resistance due to cultural issues. Claire has outstanding HR expertise and is recognised as a role model by her peers and key customers.

ENTREPRENEUR
KELLY HOPPEN - Managing Director, Kelly Hoppen Interiors

Kelly Hoppen is best known as the interior designer whose calm, elegant aesthetic has permeated our consciousness and achieved an iconic status. Kelly is able to look back at over 25 years experience and has established herself as one of the best known International Interior Designers. Her celebrated design studio has completed international schemes for houses, apartments, yachts, ski chalets, a sports centre, hotels, a restaurant, numerous corporate spaces, private jets as well as the interiors for British Airway’s first class cabins. Kelly has also successfully implemented her unique approach across a number of business areas, firmly establishing her reputation as designer, retailer, author, educator, innovator and inspiration. Her books have been translated into numerous foreign languages and her work has been on the front covers of magazines worldwide.

HUMANITARIAN
JOCELYN HAY CBE Founder and Chairman of Voice of the Viewer and Listener

Jocelyn has worked for many years in the field of Public Service Broadcasting, seeking to spread understanding and support for this powerful influence on national culture and democracy. In 1983 she founded Voice of the Listener and Viewer (VLV) – an organisation free from political, commercial or sectarian affiliations, supporting the principles of public service in broadcasting, educating the public about broadcasting in all forms, working for quality, independence and diversity. Under her leadership VLV has become widely respected in government, industry and academic circles as the leading advocate for the

citizen and consumer interests in UK broadcasting and Europe. Using her experience and European contacts she created the first pan-European Alliance of Listeners’ and Viewers’ Associations (EURALVA), which has member organisations in seven European countries.

PROFESSIONAL
LUCY NEVILLE-ROLFE CMG
Executive Director, Corporate & Legal Affairs, Tesco plc